Redbud

In early spring, clusters of small brilliant purplish-pink pea-like flowers are so abundant they fill the entire tree, dotting the branches and even coming right out of the trunk. Flowers edible raw or cooked. Flat leguminous 2-3" pods have roastable edible seeds high in antioxidants. Nitrogen-fixing tree is also valuable as an early-season nectar plant for bees.